Don’t worry about the government…

no nudes

DR S.C. THOMAS (Capel) [12.05 pm]: […] The government, as I have said, is dreadfully scared that a nuclear fission power station, as opposed to a nuclear fusion power station, might arrive in Western Australia over the next couple of months. In fact, I suspect that we will be looking at construction commencing in Swanbourne before Christmas. That must be the government’s concern, because we conveniently have to rush this bill through a week before the federal election. This is a wonderful political point-scoring exercise that has nothing to do with the prohibition of nuclear energy and nothing to do with good governance.

[…]

Mr R.F. Johnson: Member for Capel, might I interject? This is such an important bill for the government that they must push it through this week, and yet the minister is not in the house. You’d have thought he’d have an enormous concern to see the passage of this bill because of the imminent danger involved. He has not even deigned to be present in the house. I find that astonishing – absolutely astonishing!

Dr S.C. THOMAS: It is a bit disgraceful that the minister is not present. Perhaps he is in Swanbourne protesting against the imminent construction of a nuclear power facility in his residential area. He is obviously deeply concerned. I can see him now, with his banner, strutting along the beach, saying, “No nukes! No nukes!”

Dr K.D. Hames: Not in Swanbourne, I hope.

Dr S.C. THOMAS: Over the hill.

Dr K.D. Hames: Swanbourne’s nudist.

Dr S.C. THOMAS: Let us not go there; let us not go in that direction! It is enough for governments around Australia to be engaged in the board shorts versus briefs debate, without getting into nude bathing! It is more than the mind could take and more than we should subject the house to!